Milk is My Favorite!

Baby girl sure does like her milk! We went to a breastfeeding support group today, for the first time and found out Emry gained 12 ounces in a week! She is weighing in at 8 lbs 10 oz. Way to go girl! I was a little worried because she wasn't feeding 10 minutes or more on each side, each feeding. Silly me, she's just become a more efficient eater. Keep up the good work little missy!

No More Pictures Mom!

A Surprise Visit from G & G Sheriff

Steve's dad is currently working in El Dorado, KS on a business project and decided last minute to come to the Liberty area for his day off on Sunday. Steve's mom drove down from West Des Moines to meet him and they ended up visiting us both Saturday evening and Sunday early afternoon. Emry just LOVED the time she spent with her Grandma and Grandpa.

Emry and Grandpa Sheriff. How cute!!!

Snuggling with Grandma Sheriff.

First blow outs!

In less than a day, Emry managed to have 3 blow outs! I'm becoming quite the expert at getting poop stains out of baby clothes/blankets. Here's a run down of each incident: #1. Last night. Already strapped in carseat ready to leave the house. I heard her poo, took her out of the car seat to find that pooped had escaped the side of her diaper and soaked through her onesie and outfit. 10 minutes later, we were out the door. #2. This morning. I was in the middle of changing her before her next feeding. I had the new diaper underneath her old one ready to make the switch. After one swipe on her bottom with a baby wipe, poop shot out all the while she was peeing straight up. Both got all over her, me, and the changing table. She was already crying because she was hungry and the emergency bath made it that much worse. She was crying bloody murder, not a noise I had ever heard. After the bath, I had to rinse the fabrics and throw them in the laundry before everything dried and stained. So about 20 minutes after my first attempt to change her, she finally got her breakfast. Poor baby. #3. This afternoon. After the changing table ordeal, I swaddled her and put her in the swing. When I got her out to change and feed her, I noticed poop had once again escaped the side of her diaper all over her receiving blanket, on her foot/shin, and her onesie. This time, I decided to wipe the poo off of her with wipes instead of torturing her with another bath. After this, I decided the generic diapers we were given via a diaper cake probably aren't the best and she might be ready for size 1 diapers instead of the newborns. I'm waiting to see if my theory is correct. How much baby poo can one mom have on her knuckles? A LOT!

So Sweet

Emry has been much more alert these past few days. It's been so fun to watch her try to focus on things. I love her to pieces and can't believe how much she has changed in three weeks.

Sweet Pea

Our Little Family

Visitors from Iowa

Steve's mom, oldest brother and family traveled to KC, to meet Emry. It was Sam, Maddie, and Zach's first visit to our house. Emry definitely LOVED being held all day and didn't mind being the center of attention. Thanks again for coming...we love you! Cuddling with Uncle Phil and Aunt Michelle on the couch.

Cousin Sam

Cousin Zach.

Cousin Maddie.

Two Week Checkup

Emry is officially two weeks old today! She also had her two week checkup. She is in the 90 percentile for height, 50 percentile for head, and 20 percentile for weight. I was positive that she'd be back at her birth weight because she's been nursing so well but that wasn't the case. She's only 7 lbs 8.5 oz. Still 2.5 oz to go! After we saw her pediatrician, we met with the lactation consultant to see what we can do to get her weight up. We go back next Wednesday to have her weighed again and make sure we're making progress. Here are some more pics of our special girl.

Why do I have to lay by this sign again...boring!!!

A Week Old and then some...

On Thursday, Emry was officially 1 week old. I can't believe how fast time is moving. She is pretty much a sweet pea. Steve and I are definitely in love with our little girl. :)

Ready or Not, here comes baby!

It's a miracle I'm actually on the computer. There's so much to tell! Last Thursday, I went for an NST, and my blood pressure was pretty high, and my vision was a little blurred. So, the doctor sent me to be monitored and have lab work done. Once again, I was admitted to the hospital. My lab work came back fine and my blood pressure was much better when I laid flat on my left side. But the doctor wanted to get an idea of what my BP would be when I'm at home on limited activity. He asked me to walk the halls for a few minutes and when I returned my BP was 150/100. I was 38 weeks at this point and he decided the benefits of inducing me outweighed the risks. So, a few minutes later, he broke my water and started pitocin. I frantically called Steve to share the news that we were going to be parents in a matter of hours. I was induced at 2:30 and Emry was born at 9:45pm. The labor and delivery went really well. She was 7 lbs 11oz, 20 1/4 in. long. We were thankful she was healthy considering she was 2 weeks early. Unfortunately, my blood pressure stayed fairly elevated and my liver enzyme levels were increasing so, we were in the hospital from Thursday to Monday morning. As you can imagine, we were so grateful to finally get home.

It's been fun getting to know Emry and figure out her little personality. She's quite the snuggler. Enjoy the pics.

Update

At my doctor's appointment yesterday I found out I'm dilated to 3cm and 75% effaced. He said that doesn't necessarily mean anything so the waiting game continues! I'm thankful I've made some progress. My BP is still elevated but it's not dangerously high, so that's good news. Baby girl did great on the NST...she's definitely active! The doc also said they most likely won't allow me to go over term. I'm curious to find out if baby decides to come on her own or if they'll have to induce me. So many "Ifs"!!!

37 Weeks

Here are some 37 week belly shots.

During my NST this morning, baby's heart rate dropped a few times so the doctor wanted to do a sonogram so they could check the fluid levels. Everything turned out fine and we had a chance to see little girl again. It was very difficult to make out her body parts because she's so much bigger now. They gave a few pictures to take home but they aren't very clear. I did notice that her foot was much more plump than when we saw her at 27 weeks. I'm becoming so anxious to meet her. Also, today was the first time I noticed a real contraction. I've had Braxton Hicks for over a month and this was much different. Will baby come sooner or later? That is the question!

Thank Goodness For Snow Days!

Today is the second consecutive snow day we've had (even though no new snow has fallen...yet). I'm so thankful that Steve is around to keep me company AND the best part is, these days DON'T count towards my maternity leave! I'm okay having to work a few extra days at the end of the year if it means I'll have more time with baby girl. We're expected to get 2-5 inches by tomorrow morning and the temperatures are supposed to remain below zero. I'm thinking there's a good chance there isn't any school the remainder of the week. Only time will tell!

It Has Been Decided

It's official! We've have chosen a name! Unfortunately, it'll be kept a secret until little girl makes her grand entrance. Now we can add a few personalized decorations to the nursery. I NEED a few extra projects to tackle while I'm home-bound. :)